Anti-drug cooperation

Russia and the EU realise the hazard of drug addiction to public health and make serious efforts in fighting illicit trafficking of drugs and their precursors.

Combating production and spread of new psychoactive substances and narcotic drugs of Afghan origin is of particular importance to both sides.

Russia-EU cooperation in the fight against illicit drug trafficking is based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Drug Control Service (FDCS) of the Russian Federation and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) signed in Mafra (Portugal) in 2007, as well as the Russia-EU Agreement on Drug Precursors signed in June 2013 on the margins of the Russia-EU summit in Yekaterinburg.

In 2016 as a reorganisation of the drug control system was held in Russia, functions of the abolished FDCS of Russia were taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (General Directorate for Drug Control). The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and EMCDDA confirmed their readiness to continue cooperation within the framework of the Russian-EU Memorandum of Understanding.

Dialogue and coordination of efforts are carried out during annual expert consultations on drug-related issues in Brussels (the last round was held on 22 September 2016) and at various international fora.

In the second half of 2017, as the then Estonian presidency of the EU Council was not ready to hold a traditional expert meeting, the European External Action Service and the European Commission suggested an additional format for Russia-EU consultations to compare notes and prepare for the 2019 comprehensive review of the implementation of the UN Political Declaration on the World Drugs Problem and the Action Plan. The Russian side supported the initiative of the EU partners. The first meeting was held in Vienna on 6 December 2017 on the margins of the resumed 60th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the second meeting took place – on 15 March 2018 within the 61st session of the CND.